


tattoo the spaces between your fingers into mine

by SmileHoney



Series: tattooed hearts and tangled fingers [1]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Tattoos, Asexual Zuko (Avatar), Bisexual Sokka (Avatar), First Kiss, Friends to Lovers, Gay Zuko (Avatar), Getting Together, Idiots in Love, M/M, Mutual Pining, Oblivious Sokka (Avatar), Oblivious Zuko (Avatar), also featuring my poor attempt at humor, also very very background tysuki, and they were roommates..., clown to clown communication, hand holding, i really took that oblivious tag and cranked it up to eleven here, they're both so stupid idk what else to tell you
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-01
Updated: 2021-02-01
Packaged: 2021-03-18 17:20:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,293
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29121831
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SmileHoney/pseuds/SmileHoney
Summary: Because suddenly, it all made sense- he was wearing a rainbow friendship bracelet, holding another guy’s hand, talking about the apartment they lived in together and the cat they shared, and the tattoo artist thought they were-“So, are you guys close?” Suki’s voice was nonchalant, as if she was just asking about the weather and not if they were dating, but it still sounded like a death sentence to him.Especially when Sokka- a genius with degrees in both astrophysics and aerospace engineering, as well as minors in math and chemistry- completely missed the unspoken question and responded easily, as if it was nothing, “Yeah, of course we are. That’s why I asked him to come.”orSokka learns that rib tattoos hurt, a lot. Luckily, Zuko is there to hold his hand. The only problem is that the tattoo artist thinks they're dating, when they very much aren't.
Relationships: Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Series: tattooed hearts and tangled fingers [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2147709
Comments: 74
Kudos: 552





	tattoo the spaces between your fingers into mine

**Author's Note:**

> This is based off of [this tumblr post](https://penroseparticle.tumblr.com/post/177245309147/so-i-just-went-with-my-buddy-while-he-got-a-rib). I saw it and thought... Well that just screams Zukka, doesn't it? And then I busted this out in a few days.
> 
> A huge huge huge thanks to the amazingly wonderful Terra, who let me send her snippet after snippet, helped me come up with several of the tattoos mentioned, and provided me a whole lot of emotional support. She is also responsible for coming up with the end scene, so... Everyone give her love at terracyte on [ao3](https://archiveofourown.org/users/terracyte/pseuds/terracyte) and [tumblr](https://terracyte.tumblr.com/).
> 
> In terms of universe... this is like modern au collided with canon. I'm not entirely sure where it takes place. Just... It's wherever you want it to be! Anyways, the play that Zuko is reading is basically a bastardization of Romeo and Juliet, based off of Oma and Shu. The title is from the poem listed at the top of the fic by Shubhangi.
> 
> I really hope you enjoy!

_Hold my hand,_

_let me tattoo_

_all the creases_

_and lines_

_and the spaces_

_between your fingers_

_into mine._

_~shubhangi~_

╳

“Will you come with me when I get my tattoo tomorrow?” 

The question came suddenly, the first thing Sokka said to him when he walked into the apartment they shared- not hello, not how are you, just… if he would go with him to get his tattoo.

“What?” Zuko asked dumbly, looking up from his script of _The Cave of Two Lovers_ to watch his roommate as he bustled around in an excited blur.

“Will you come with me to my tattoo appointment?” he repeated as he kicked off his vans, left them in a messy pile next to Zuko’s carefully placed pair of docs, threw his backpack down on the table, gave Druk a scratch on his head when he meowed at him from the counter petulantly, and made a beeline to the cupboard to grab a handful of seal jerky. “I know you work the opening shift at the tea shop tomorrow, but it doesn’t start until after you get off. You don’t have to, of course, if it sounds boring to just sit there will I get ink injected into my skin yet again or if you’re busy, but-”

“Of course I’ll go with you,” he interrupted with a smile sent his way. He added on genuinely, “It doesn’t sound boring at all.”

He pointedly ignored the fact that even if he didn’t want to go or if he was busy, he’d still be there for no other reason because it was Sokka, his best friend who he had secretly been in love with for almost two years, and who he’d do anything for even if he wasn’t- especially if it meant he got one of his signature blinding smiles in return.

Which, yeah, maybe a little desperate of him, but it was all he had, seeing as he definitely didn’t have a chance with his straight best friend. 

Instead, he settled for pining after him from afar- wrapped up in how beautiful he was, how he was the kindest person he’d ever met, how he was always there when he needed no matter what, how when he smiled at him it made him feel as though he was flying, how the world could be ending and it wouldn’t matter as long as Sokka was there-

“Great! Thanks, Zuko, you’re the best.”

“Oh. Uh, yeah. It’s no problem at all,” he said awkwardly, blushing ever so slightly at where his brain had been going, and he turned his face back towards his computer, pretending to be focused on his script. “Which one are you going to get?”

“The one on my ribs- with the moon, remember?”

He nodded, knowing exactly which one he was referring to; he had been wanting it for ages but had never had the occasion to get done, and he suddenly understood why he had asked for company. It wasn’t like he wasn’t familiar with getting tattoos, considering he had a large traditional Inuit tattoo on his thigh, a wolf on his forearm, a band of waves circling his bicep, and several other smaller pieces scattered across his body- it was just that this one just meant a lot to him, so he could use the moral support (also, rib tattoos _hurt_ \- Zuko would want someone there if he was getting one done, too). 

“That’s awesome, Sokka. I’m glad you’re going to be able to get it done finally.”

He smiled, sliding into a seat at the table across from him. “Yeah, I had my consultation a few weeks ago and I think it’s gonna be awesome. The artist who’s doing it is a friend of Ty Lee’s- she did the lily on her ankle, actually- and she’s supposed to be really good.”

“I’m excited to be there, then, especially since I’m going to the same person in September for my dragon… I’ll get to scope out her work, and if it turns out that she sucks I’ll know to reschedule with someone else. Then only you’ll have crappy ink,” he teased.

Sokka’s jaw dropped in mock hurt and he clutched his heart. “I knew you were only using me this whole time, but _ouch_. To be so open with it… You cut me deep, Zuko. You cut me real deep just now.”

“Don’t quote _Shrek_ when you’re trying to be funny. It’s a disgrace to the movie.”

He barked out a surprised laugh, mouth split into a wide smile that made his stomach swoop ever so slightly, and pulled his backpack towards him. “Alright, fine. But I mean it- thanks for saying yes.”

Zuko shrugged with fake nonchalance and smiled again. “You know me, buddy. I’m always happy to provide moral support.”

“Yeah, I know,” he grinned. “Now be quiet, I have to work on this paper.”

He rolled his eyes at his antics- as if Sokka hadn’t burst in and started talking to him while he was in the middle of doing his own work- but mimed zipping his lips anyways, and they easily settled into a comfortable silence.

╳

The Kyoshi Tattoo Parlor was downtown, a few streets south of his uncle’s tea shop; Zuko had passed by it countless times on his way to and from work, but had never found an opportunity to go in and check it out himself. As it was, he’d only scheduled his appointment for September there because Ty Lee had pushed him too after the person he usually went to, June, had left Blue Spirit Tattoos. Now though, standing just inside the door with Sokka, he kicked himself for not coming in sooner. 

The shop was unlike anything he’d ever really seen before- it was light and open, sunlight streaming in through the glass wall up at the front and the skylights in the ceiling. The back wall was covered in an overlay of criss crossing bamboo sticks, creating diamond shaped cubbies that had been filled with a variety of terrariums, bonsai trees, and sculptures. The wall to the right was covered in an elaborate ukiyo-e mural of an island featuring several minka, a pagoda, a statue of a female warrior, and ocean waves crashing at its shores. The other wall was much more simple by comparison and was covered in frames displaying sample works of art and tattoos the artists had done. A counter ran along it that he assumed held all of the equipment and inks, and it split off at a ninety degree angle to create a waiting area just inside the door. Within the main area behind it were eight tattoo stations, each separated by a partition. It was sleek and modern without being overly clinical, and he could understand why it was one of the most popular shops in the city, with appointments booking out months in advance.

It was a Wednesday afternoon though, so business was a little slower and only two of the other chairs were filled by customers, allowing the shop to be quiet besides the buzzing of the tattoo guns, the soft murmur of conversation, and the lo-fi playing over the speakers. 

They had been waiting up at the front and gazing at the sketches and photographs on the wall to their left for a few minutes when the door to the back, hidden behind the bamboo rods, swung open and a young woman walked out. She had short auburn hair, half of it pulled back into a ponytail, and snaking its way down her right arm was an elaborate tattoo of a giant sea serpent. 

She smiled at them wildly as she headed towards them and said, “Hey Sokka, good to see you again.”

Sokka stepped forwards and shook her hand excitedly. “Hey Suki! You too, I’m super excited. Also, this is Zuko; he’s going to stay with me during my appointment, if that’s okay.”

“Yeah, that’s fine. And hi Zuko, it’s nice to meet you.”

“You too,” he stuck out of his hand to her awkwardly, “I’ve heard a lot about you from my friend Ty Lee, so I’m excited to see what you do for Sokka.”

She laughed, heading back behind the counter. “You have? That’s so sweet of her… she’s a flatterer, no doubt about that. So, real quick before we get started on all the paperwork and whatnot, I have your finished design ready, if you just want to give your seal of approval?”

She turned the tablet towards the two of them, and Zuko heard Sokka’s breath catch as he looked at it- a crescent moon set against a backdrop of swirling clouds, the shading and fine details appearing to make it look as though they were actually moving.

“What do you think?” Zuko nudged his best friend with his elbow when it became clear he wasn’t going to say anything, too absorbed in admiring the sketch.

“Pretty clouds,” he said absently.

“Uh… Yeah. Fluffy,” he responded awkwardly. “So… Do you like it?”

The second question pulled him from his thoughts finally, and Sokka grimaced slightly as he brought a hand up to scratch the back of his neck, something he only did when he was embarrassed. “I’m so sorry, I zoned out there. Yeah, I love it. It’s perfect, Suki, thank you.”

“I’m glad to hear it,” she laughed, reaching below the counter again and pulling out a clipboard with several papers on it. “Alright, so here’s the paperwork for you to fill out, and while you take care of that I’m going to get this printed onto the transfer paper and prep your area.”

A few minutes later, Sokka had stripped out of his shirt and was laying on his side on the table, leaving the right side of his ribcage open for Suki to begin prepping his skin. As she disinfected and shaved the area, Zuko sat down in the chair she had gotten for him and asked, “How are you feeling? Rib tattoos hurt pretty bad.”

He tilted his head, careful not to move his torso. “Yeah, I know. I’m a little nervous, but it’s an excited sort of nervous, you know? Like… Like before you go on stage for a performance, I would imagine. But I’m good, otherwise- relaxed. It helps that you’re here.”

He looked away before Sokka could see him blush, and just nodded. “That’s good. It’ll help with the pain. Uncle always tells me to remember my breathing when I go, no matter how many times I’ve been before.”

“This uncle of yours is right,” Suki piped up as she finished cleaning the area. “Breathing will definitely help, especially since this is a bigger piece on a very sensitive area. Anyways, sorry to interrupt, but I’m ready to position it if you want to follow me to the mirror, Sokka?”

Zuko stayed in his seat, just watching as the two of them figured out how the tattoo should be positioned. Well… More watching the way Sokka’s brow furrowed as he tried to decide if he wanted it moved down a little, or the way his eyes crinkled when Suki said something that made him laugh, or the subtle shake in his hands that betrayed his excitement and that Zuko only knew to look for it because they’d been friends for so long- but that was all beside the point.

Eventually Sokka called out, “Hey Zuko, what do you think of this placement?”

He blinked, surprised (and no small amount incredibly touched and helplessly emotional) that Sokka was asking his opinion. He looked at it much more thoughtfully than he had before, and nodded decisively at the spot Suki was holding it above- halfway down his ribcage, wrapping around towards his stomach. “Yeah, that’s the spot.”

“Alright. If Zuko likes it, it’s good for me. Go ahead,” he nodded to Suki, and she pressed the stencil down to transfer the outline onto his skin smoothly. 

When she peeled off the paper to reveal the dark purple outline, Sokka could only grin wildly, and when Zuko saw the reflection of it, an identical smile spread across his face, too.

“I take it, that's good, then?” Suki asked, voice teasing. 

Their eyes found each other in the mirror, one of Sokka’s eyebrows raised, and Zuko nodded. 

“Yeah,” Sokka said finally. “It’s perfect.”

He got back into position on the table while Suki finished setting up the gun and put on a new pair of gloves. 

“Alright, I’m ready. Are you?” she asked him, left hand on his ribs and her right holding the gun a few inches above his skin. He let out a slow breath, closed his eyes, and nodded. “Okay. Here we go then. If you need a break, don’t hesitate to ask.”

After that, the buzzing of the machine filled the shop.

When the needle first touched his skin, Sokka’s face flickered slightly but he made no other sign that he was in any extraordinary amount of pain, so he settled into his chair and pulled out his phone to finish reading the last few scenes in act two of _The Cave of Two Lovers._ He lost himself in the story, and by the time he reached the end of the final scene- where Oma and Shu had just finished creating their system of tunnels to keep seeing each other and gotten married- nearly twenty minutes had passed. 

He glanced up to check on Sokka, who hadn’t so much as made a sound since Suki started outlining, and his heart leapt into his throat when he saw his face was skewed in pain, with his eyes closed, fist clenched, and face turned away from both him and Suki; clearly trying to hide how much pain he was in. 

Zuko couldn’t believe he hadn’t seen this coming, because it was a classic Sokak move- he was always trying to hide whatever pain he felt, no matter if it was because he was upset about something, if the chronic pain in his left leg was flaring up again, or _apparently_ if it was because getting a rib tattoo was incredibly painful.

Zuko sighed and closed his phone, reaching out to tap his clenched fist. “Hey. How are you doing?”

The buzzing stopped when Suki heard his question, and Sokka looked up at him with a weak smile. “I’m fine! Totally fine. Keep on keeping on, full steam ahead, and all that.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Mhm. So is that why you’re digging your nails into your palm?”

“I am not!” he said indignantly, exhaling through his nose loudly.

Wordlessly, Zuko reached out and grabbed his wrist to lift up his clenched fist.

“Fine,” he grumbled, relaxing it enough that the red crescents left by his nails were visible. “It hurts. I knew it was going to, but I didn’t really expect it to be this bad.”

“That’s rough, buddy,” was all he could think to say, but it clearly worked to make Sokka feel a little better because he broke out into violent laughter.

When he had collected himself again, he said with a fond smile, “Yeah, I guess it is. But I promise, I’m fine. I’ll just be better about asking for a break.”

“You better,” Suki huffed, before turning back to the tattoo and starting her work again.

Not even five minutes later, Sokka’s face was skewed in pain once more and his nails had dug their way back into his palms; Zuko, acting mostly on impulse, reached out with his right hand and grabbed his hand.

“What are you doing?” Sokka asked- not angry or accusing, just curious. Which he supposed made sense, considering he had just reached out and grabbed his clenched fist without saying anything, and automatically expected him to understand what he was trying to do.

“Giving you my hand,” he explained a little shyly, “so that you can squeeze it when it hurts.”

Sokka’s hand relaxed under his immediately and he slotted their fingers together, his left holding Zuko’s right, and he mumbled out a quiet, “Thanks.”

Zuko looked down at their hands for a moment- trying not to think about how nice it felt to have the warmth of his palm pressed against the coolness of Sokka’s, or how Sokka’s fingers seemed to fit perfectly between his own, or how he could feel the callouses left over from all the summers he’d spent working on his dad’s fishing boat, or how badly he already didn’t want this to ever end- before he looked up and smiled weakly. 

“There. Now if it hurts, you just… Squeeze.” Immediately, the loose grip tightened harshly, and Zuko just laughed through his nose. “Yeah, that’s what I thought.”

“Oh, be quiet,” Sokka grumbled again, turning his head so that he was looking more directly at Zuko. “What were you reading? Earlier, I mean.”

“ _The Cave of Two Lovers_. It’s one of the plays I’ve been doing that analysis on for my thesis.”

“Is that the one that we saw on Ember Island a few years ago, about those two people who make the caves?” he asked, nose wrinkled. 

He immediately rolled his eyes. “Okay, yes it is. But you know the Ember Island Players always butcher whatever show they put on! The real version is _way_ better, and it actually makes very poignant statements about prejudices and how they can ruin society that are still relevant today.”

“It doesn’t change the fact that there are a whole bunch of people dressed as badgermoles the whole time, though.”

“...No. I don’t suppose it does,” he acquiesced, laughing slightly and noticing, distantly, that Sokka’s grip had relaxed a little bit as his concentration shifted from the tattoo to their conversation. “But they aren’t just there for fun, they’re the ones who help Oma and Shu make their tunnels. They’re like their guides, helping them to find each other even when the world would keep them apart.”

“So the badgermoles are like R2-D2 and C-3PO, is what you’re saying?”

“I- What?” he blinked at Sokka, barely able to contain the smile that tugged at his lips when he saw how excited he was.

“Well, R2 and Threepio were with Leia as her companions. When she got captured, they carried her message all the way to Tatooine, where they were captured by the Jawas and then sold to Luke’s family. Once they find Obi-Wan, they travel around the galaxy with him, help him rescue Leia, and then R2 helps Luke fly his X-wing when he destroys the Death Star. Erego, they’re like his guides to the galaxy. They’re just droids instead of badgermoles, and they lead him to his twin rather than his partner.”

“Wouldn’t Obi-Wan be Luke’s guide, though? Or Yoda?” he asked, bewildered by the way Sokka’s mind was working right now. Not in a bad way, of course; it was entertaining, and the excitement with which he spoke made Zuko even more aware of his feelings for him (not that it mattered)- he just didn’t see how he managed to connect a play about star crossed lovers whose death ends a long standing feud to a space opera.

“Zuko, please. They were his masters. _Completely_ different.”

He raised his hand not holding Sokka’s in surrender. “Okay, okay. I’ll take your word for it. I always fall asleep when we watch that one anyways, so… It’s not like I have any expertise in this matter.”

“You fall asleep during all of them, buddy. I’ve seen it with my own eyes. Multiple times.”

“Maybe I wouldn’t if they let Han Solo show a little more skin,” he said dryly, knowing it would draw a laugh from him for at least three reasons- one, he was ace, so it wasn’t like that _really_ mattered to him, and Sokka knew it. Two, his shirt was already halfway open anyways; if it was open any lower, it would be scandalous. Three, not even three cups of coffee had been enough to keep him awake last time they’d tried to watch it, so at this point he didn’t think anything would.

To his satisfaction he did laugh- a surprised, body shaking laugh that was so rare to earn from him- and it made a warm curl of content wrap around his heart. It also drew one from Suki, who he had quite honestly… Forgotten was there, he’d been so caught up in Sokka. 

“Sorry,” she said through her giggles when she saw both Zuko and Sokka look at her in amusement. “This is just… Possibly one of the most entertaining conversations I’ve heard in my chair.”

“I can’t believe it. Someone finally recognizes my comedic genius,” Sokka said in awe. “Zuko, get my phone. I need to tell Katara.”

“I think she was complimenting both of us,” he pointed out.

“All the more reason to tell Katara.”

Suki burst out into laughter again, and Zuko could only shake his head fondly. 

“Alright, wise guy,” she said after she managed to stop laughing. “Do you need anything before I get started again? Water, a longer break for the pain, to stretch...?”

“Nah, I’m alright. Zuko is actually helping a lot, and between the conversation and holding his hand, I could barely notice it after awhile.” He smiled at Zuko when he said it, small and soft in a way that made fire-moths burst to life in his stomach and heart.

He looked away, an embarrassingly happy smile tugging at his lips and his cheeks burning, when he caught Suki’s eye. She had picked up the tattoo gun again, but instead of getting started again she was frozen, hand poised over Sokka’s ribcage and her gaze fixed on them. 

He assumed she was checking on Sokka, so he gave her a nod as if to say that she could start- he had relaxed significantly since they started holding hands, after all, and he hadn’t even so much as grimaced once they started talking. He wasn’t one to brag, but… He had Sokka handled; Suki didn’t need to worry about it anymore.

She smiled slightly and nodded back, and a second later the buzzing of the gun filled the shop again. When she touched the needle to his skin again, Sokka inhaled sharply and his grip on Zuko’s hand tightened painfully. Wincing sympathetically, Zuko began rubbing gentle circles into the back of his hand with his thumb, and after a few seconds he exhaled softly, and his grip loosened once again.

“Good?” he asked quietly, watching him carefully for any hint of his tough guy act from earlier.

“Good,” he confirmed. “It just surprised me, is all.”

“Alright. I know I’ve said it a thousand times, but let me know if you need anything, okay?”

“You know, now that you mention it, there’s actually one thing I need.” 

His voice was teasing enough that Zuko knew it wasn’t going to be about anything serious, so he just raised an eyebrow and asked, “Oh?”

“Yeah. I need your cat to stop stealing my socks.”

Zuko sighed and rolled his eyes in exasperation. They’d been having the same discussion since they had moved in together, though at this point it was more of a joke than an actual issue- if it actually annoyed Sokka as much as he made it sound like he did, he would’ve found a solution already. Still, Sokka always told Zuko that he should teach Druk not to steal his socks, while Zuko always argued that if he didn’t leave his clothes scattered all over the floor (or at least shut his door when he left), then Druk wouldn’t be so interested in going in there and stealing them in the first place. 

“Druk’s as much your cat as he is mine, Sokka,” he teased right back. “Besides, you always leave your socks on the floor, even though I tell you over and over again to pick them up. Of course he’s going to steal them when he finds them, it’s just what cats do.”

“He is not my cat! You owned him before we moved in together, therefore he’s your cat.”

“But he likes you better,” Zuko countered.

Sokka hummed and raised his eyebrows. “That is a good point, I have to admit. He definitely does.” A beat, then, “Although, if he was really my cat, he’d know better than to steal my socks.”

Zuko laughed and shook his head, looking up to the ceiling as if looking for strength amongst the skylights. “I’ll be sure to pass along the message to him, then.”

He heard another laugh come from Suki’s direction, barely audible over the buzzing, and he glanced over to her curiously. She was still focused on the outline, going over it with careful precision and deep concentration, but she was grinning to herself. As he watched, her eyes flickered up momentarily to glance at their joined hands- pointedly enough that it made Zuko furrow his brow in confusion.

“Thank you,” Sokka sighed. “I don’t want to have to kick him out, but if I find another one of my socks under the couch I might have to take drastic action.”

Once again, Suki glanced at their hands, quizzically this time, and Zuko wondered if she was looking to see if Sokka was squeezing it as a way to gauge his pain without interrupting them.

“If you kick our cat out of our apartment I’m never going to forgive you, you know that right?”

Another glance, and Zuko realized that she didn’t seem to be worried but more… Searching, as if she wasn’t sure she was seeing something properly.

“That’s a risk I’m just going to have to take, I guess.”

A fourth flicker of green eyes that were definitely checking to see if something was there, and Zuko followed her gaze to their clasped hands. Sokka’s was resting on the table, his palm up, while his own rested on the arm of the chair with his palm pressing down into his best friend’s. He frowned slightly, wondering what was so captivating about this for Suki- he was just holding his hand, with nothing out of place or odd about it.

Well, he supposed that wasn’t quite true on second thought, because he’d grabbed Sokka’s hand with his right; which meant the simple black band on his middle finger- his ace ring- was easily visible. Maybe, he mused to himself as he stared at it, she was just curious about what it meant. Except… Well, if someone didn’t know the meaning of it, their glance tended to just pass over it since they thought it was just a piece of jewelry. So then maybe she was just looking at it and noticing that it was a little scratched and dirty because he hadn’t cleaned it recently? He wasn’t sure why that would catch her attention though, especially since the friendship bracelet around his wrist was in much worse condition-

_Oh._

His eyes flickered the short distance to his wrist, where the band of repeating chevron rainbows seemed to taunt him. It was slightly ragged and faded after wearing it for almost four years since Sokka gave it to him, but it was still obvious enough what it meant.

Zuko felt, strangely, as though he were swimming.

Because suddenly, it all made sense- he was wearing a rainbow friendship bracelet, holding another guy’s hand, talking about the apartment they lived in together and the cat they shared, and the tattoo artist thought they were-

“So, are you guys close?” Suki’s voice was nonchalant, as if she was just asking about the weather and not if they were dating, but it still sounded like a death sentence to him.

Especially when Sokka- a genius with degrees in both astrophysics and aerospace engineering, as well as minors in math and chemistry- completely missed the unspoken question and responded easily, as if it was nothing, “Yeah, of course we are. That’s why I asked him to come.”

If he’d been swimming before, now he was drowning.

And Zuko, who had never resented anyone for their sexuality in his life, suddenly hated the oblivious straight man he called his best friend. 

Alright, so maybe that was a little bit unfair, a little bit ridiculous, and a lot dramatic. Sokka could hardly be blamed for missing the subtext that was there, considering he hadn’t spent his life searching for it the way Zuko had, and the question was framed innocently enough. And, after all, they _were_ close- it’s why he was here right now, why he was holding Sokka’s hand, why they shared an apartment, why Sokka had given him the bracelet…They just weren’t close the way Suki thought they were, or the way Zuko wished they were. 

So it wasn’t really that he hated that Sokka was straight- it was more that Suki now thought she was right and she had a gay couple in her tattoo shop, Sokka had _absolutely no idea_ that’s what she thought, and Zuko had no clue what to do about any of it. For all the times he’d had to correct people for thinking he was straight, he’d never had to correct them for thinking he was gay, and nothing could have prepared him for it. 

People had commented on how close they were before, of course, but no one had ever directly implied that they were a couple until now. Zuko knew, realistically, that Sokka wouldn’t care- he was secure enough that it wouldn’t be insulting, and kind enough to not make a big deal about it for anyone involved, but… Zuko couldn’t help but be petrified that if he mentioned Suki thought they were dating, then Sokka would somehow figure out his feelings for him, and _then_ it would be a big deal- or at least a conversation, which was still more of a deal than he wanted to make of it.

So… What was he supposed to do? Let go of Sokka’s hand, therefore taking back what he said about how he could squeeze it if the pain was too bad? Say not in the way she thinks they are, therefore embarrassing Suki? Tell Sokka what’s going on, therefore making Sokka uncomfortable? Just roll with it, therefore leaving himself to stew in his panic and hopeless pining all the while he wished desperately that it was true? 

Before he could make a decision, Suki ducked her head back down to go back to outlining and said with a nod and a smile, “That’s great, man. Good for you.”

He’d never wanted to find a nice rock to hide under more.

Sokka, living in ignorant bliss, turned back to him and said, “Okay, we got sidetracked before, but I was going to ask how your thesis was going.”

“I- Uh, yeah, it’s good. It’s slow, especially since I’m still comparing it to a few other plays and haven’t even started the actual creative portion of it, but it’s been going well. Bumi says it’s shaping up to be one of the best thesis projects he’s seen.”

His answering grin was blinding. “That’s great, Zuko! I’m really glad to hear it, I know how hard you’ve been working on it.”

“Thanks Sokka,” he said, squeezing his hand this time. “The fact that it’s weird probably helps, considering who my advisor is.”

“I will never get over the fact that you two, of all people, get along. I mean you’re all serious and brooding, and Bumi’s… Bumi,” Sokka teased. “I guess opposites attract and all that, huh?”

“It might also have to do with the fact that he and my uncle have known each other for nearly four decades and that he practically saw me grow up,” he shrugged. “Also, I do _not_ brood anymore.”

“Hm,” was the only response he got, and Zuko rolled his eyes again. Before he could dignify it with a response though, Sokka had turned his head towards Suki to ask, “I know you just got started again, but would I be able to get some water, actually?”

“Oh yeah, of course,” she nodded easily, already setting down the machine. Inexplicably, she winked at Zuko as she walked away and said, “I’ll be right back, you two just stay here.”

He blushed, aware of the fact that they were still holding hands even though there was really no point in it while she was gone. He loosened his hold slightly, but Sokka didn’t appear to notice because he made no move to let go.

He realized now was the perfect time to mention to Sokka that Suki thought they were dating, but before he could so much as open his mouth, he asked, “How does it look so far? I don’t want to ruin the final product, but I’m curious.”

Zuko stood up to look, expecting Sokka to let go now, but instead he just let his arm follow Zuko’s so that it was hanging in the air, their fingers intertwined. He hid his blush- even stronger than it had been before- behind his hair as he examined the progress Suki had made. He spent longer than he needed to studying the dark lines that were now spread across his ribs, grateful for something to keep him from thinking about how Sokka really wasn’t really helping the fact that they looked like a couple to Suki, or how he didn’t seem to want to let go of his hand.

Not that it mattered- Sokka wasn’t holding his hand for any reason other than because being able to squeeze it helped with the pain. 

“It looks really good,” he said finally, resolutely setting aside his previous thoughts. “You’re going to love it. And it looks like you're about halfway done with outlining, I would say, and then there’s just the shading to do after that.”

“Cool, cool,” Sokka nodded before tugging on Zuko’s hand to get him to sit down again. He was helpless to follow.

“Here you go,” Suki announced as she came back, a plastic water bottle in her hand that she held out to Sokka.

Once again, Zuko expected Sokka to let go of his hand.

Once again, Sokka managed to render Zuko speechless when, instead of doing that, he held the water bottle in his right hand, twisted the cap off with his teeth, and continued holding onto him with his left. 

“Thanks, Suki. I’m good now, whenever you are,” he said to her after he’d had a few sips, before he turned back to Zuko and held it out to him.

He took it without complaining- after all, Sokka was laying down on his side, and the last thing they needed was for him to spill water all over himself and Suki’s equipment. He decided to hold it in his free hand, though, so that if he wanted a quick sip it was closer to him, and settled back into the chair when the buzzing started up again. He looked at Sokka, just to make sure he was okay still, only to see that he was staring at him expectantly and hadn't even seemed to notice that Suki had started tattooing him again.

“What?” he asked him, perplexed by why he was looking at him like that.

“Drink,” he replied shortly, pointing his chin towards the bottle in Zuko’s hand.

“I- What?”

“Drink some water, Zuko. You were at work all day, and you always forget your water bottle when you have the morning shift. Drink.”

He flicked his eyes away from Sokka’s face to the water bottle in his hand, torn. Not because he wasn’t thirsty, or because Sokka had already drank from it; just like Sokka said, he had forgotten his water bottle that morning so he hadn’t water all day, and they’d been friends for so long that sharing something like this didn’t really bother him. It was just that if he did this, if he drank from the same water bottle as Sokka, then Suki would know she was right about their relationship. Or at least she’d _think_ she knew she was right, not that that was much better.

Sokka’s gaze wasn’t letting up, though, and with a resigned sigh he brought the water bottle to his mouth. When he brought it back down, Sokka had that same bright smile that he loved so much, while Suki had a distinctly smug look on her face that he didn’t like in the slightest. 

He cleared his throat uncomfortably, sure his cheeks were flaming red, and mumbled, “Right. Thanks.”

“Anything for you,” Sokka said happily, still blissfully ignorant of the perception Suki had of them or the storm of panic tearing its way through Zuko’s brain. 

Suki snorted, but picked up the machine again . As she started working once more she asked, “So Zuko, I hope you don’t mind me asking, but who did your sleeve? It’s beautiful.”

Grateful for the distraction, he looked down at his left arm to smile fondly at the sleeve she referred to- a traditional Japanese style sleeve with a swirling pattern of black and grey waves, surrounding several vibrant red and orange fire lilies and the characters spelling out _never give up without a fight_ running down his forearm towards his wrist. “June Vinh did. She used to be over at Blue Spirit Tattoos, but she left a few months ago.”

“Yeah, I know June! She’s awesome. I’m sure you’re sad to see her go.”

“A bit,” he sighed. “She did a few other small pieces here and there for me, too, and they’re all really amazing.” 

He spared a glance at Sokka, who had a shit eating grin on his face, and knew that he was thinking of a drunken Zuko sitting on the bathroom floor at three in the morning during their freshman year of college, giving himself a stick and poke of a turtleduck on the inside of his knee as an act of rebellion. He wasn’t sure what he’d been rebelling against, exactly, but he’d done it anyways- managing to choose perhaps the least rebellious thing to tattoo onto himself in the process. 

“The sleeve _is_ pretty cool,” he began with a sharp glitter in his eyes, “but my favorite tattoo of his has to be-”

“Sokka, _shut_ up,” he hissed before he could mention it to her. He caught the amused eyebrow Suki had raised at the interaction out of the corner of his eye, and he coughed in embarrassment. With one last pointed glare sent Sokka’s way, he continued, “But I have an appointment for a consultation here in September, though. With you, actually.”

“I _thought_ the name Zuko sounded familiar! Ty Lee really referred all her friends to me, huh?”

Zuko shrugged. “She really likes her lily.”

Surprisingly, Suki’s ears turned a bright shade of pink, and Zuko immediately put two and two together when she stuttered out, “I- um. Well...” 

She trailed off and cleared her throat, pointedly keeping her eyes focused on Sokka’s tattoo, though he could see her smile and bright red cheeks. 

“No way,” Sokka grinned as he connected the dots, too. “You’re her new girlfriend, aren’t you?”

“I- Well we haven’t made anything official, but we’ve gone on a few dates, so sort of?”

He studied her over his shoulder, careful not to twist his ribs too much, and finally said, “I can see it. And for the record, I think you should make it official. She talks about her mystery girl a whole lot, so…”

She smiled, a distinctly sappy quirk of her lips, and laughed to herself. “I... I’ll have to keep that in mind, then. But that’s really great, Zuko, I’m excited to work with you too. What are you thinking?”

“Well, it’s kind of a big piece, but a half sleeve and chest tattoo of a dragon is the idea so far. On the right side, obviously.”

She whistled in appreciation. “That’s going to be sick, I already know it. I’m stoked to work on that with you.”

“It’s going to be so cool,” Sokka agreed before adding, “And I’m going to be there to hold his hand for that one, too.”

Zuko stared at him in shock, unable to believe that he’d just said that. He’d barely talked to him about the tattoo other than saying what he wanted to get and that he was having to find a different artist since June had left, and he didn’t even know when his appointment would end up being. And yet… Sokka had just agreed to be there. A small part of him had to wonder if it was a joke, but he knew him better than that; it was definitely a sincere statement. 

He swore he fell just a little more in love with him when he said it, because that was the exact kind of selfless, loving act that had made him realize he had a crush on him in the first place.

It also sounded _incredibly_ like something a boyfriend would say, however, and a nice rock to hide under was sounding more and more appealing- both because he was blushing furiously and didn’t want Sokka to see, and because Suki said smugly, “I mean, I should hope so.”

Sokka remained oblivious, Suki remained smirking, and Zuko remained panicking. 

Suddenly desperate for conversation to stop before Sokka could say anything else that made his brain short circuit, he set the water bottle he was still holding down on the ground next to his foot and grabbed his phone from his pocket. “You know what, I just realized I should keep reading my script.”

“Would you maybe… Read it out loud to me?” Sokka asked. “I don’t want to keep you from reading it, but talking to you helped with the pain.”

His voice was quiet and shy, the type that told Zuko he was embarrassed to be asking, and he just smiled, unable to say no. “Yeah. I’m starting the beginning of act three. Do you want a recap?” 

Sokka nodded. 

“Alright. There are two people- Oma, the daughter of a farmer in a village down the river, and Shu, the son of a tailor in the village in the hills above the river. They met up in the hills between their villages, where they shared a lunch before continuing on their separate ways. Neither of them knew the other’s name, but they fell in love just from that conversation and continued to meet in the hills. The problem, though, was that their villages were bitter enemies that had been fighting a war against each other for generations; they would never be allowed to marry the way they wanted to, at least not publicly. They were determined to be together, though, so they went to the badgermoles and learned to bend the earth around them so that they could meet in secret.”

He hummed thoughtfully. “Okay, yeah, I remember all that. Go ahead.”

As the buzzing of the tattoo gun droned on, Zuko began to read.

╳

“‘... _Ask for me tomorrow and you will find me a grave man. I am peppered, I fear, for this world_ -’”

“This man really said ‘I will pepper in the fact that I’m dying,’” Sokka snorted. 

“It’s for backstory, okay? He has to build up to it. Just… Let Mongkut die in peace.”

╳

“‘ _Tell her, she is to be married to this noble man Thursday_ -’”

“Well _that’s_ going to be an incredibly awkward conversation. ‘Hi, sorry, I can’t marry this man on Thursday because I’m already married to someone from the village we’ve been fighting for generations… Sorry,’” he scoffed, shaking his head. “Insanity, all of it.”

“Who even schedules a wedding for a Thursday?” Suki asked. “That sounds awful- how is your reception supposed to be fun when you’re worried about having to wake up for work the next morning?”

“Exactly! Suki gets it.”

╳

“‘ _Hang, young baggage, disobedient-_ ’”

“Did he just call his daughter a cabbage?”

“....No, Sokka, he didn’t call Oma a cabbage.”

“Hm. Missed opportunity, considering he’s a cabbage farmer and all.”

By the time Zuko stopped laughing, he was sure the pain in his ribs could rival that in Sokka’s. 

╳

“‘ _Our provisions will be short, for it is near night_ -’”

“Tui forbid they’re short a couple napkins,” Sokka interrupted again with an eye roll. “I swear, the issues some of these people are absorbed with…”

“You’d be freaking out about the exact same thing if you had to plan a wedding in what you thought was three days but then became two, and you know it.”

“No I wouldn’t!”

“When we went on our road trip last summer, I watched you freak out because we took ten minutes longer at a rest stop than you had planned. You _absolutely_ would be upset over a few missing napkins.”

“...Just get back to reading.”

╳

Nearly two hours later, they had managed to reach the end of act four, even with Sokka’s interruptions to make a joke or ask what something meant. It was perfect timing, too, because Suki had just finished and was taking one last look at her work. When she finally decided she was satisfied she leaned back, set the gun down, and peeled her gloves off. “I think you’re done, Sokka,” she said. “Do you want to take a look before I wrap it up and we get you out of here?”

Zuko slid his phone into his pocket and gave his hand- still interlaced with his- a squeeze in anticipation. He could see a small portion of it from where he sat, a beautiful spread of expertly done clouds surrounding a sweeping crescent moon, and he knew Sokka was going to love it.

“Yeah,” Sokka breathed out, moving to sit up carefully. “Yeah, I want to take a look.”

As he stood up, his hand slipped out of Zuko’s grasp. 

His heart fell, already missing his touch, and he clenched his fist as he pulled away- as if it would keep the feeling of Sokka’s hand holding onto his from fading. 

He chided himself slightly for it and reminded himself why they’d been holding hands in the first place- because Zuko had offered to help when he saw his friend in pain. It hadn’t meant anything, and it was foolish of him to be so upset over Sokka letting go. Besides, hadn’t he been panicking over the fact that Sokka _wasn’t_ letting go not too long ago? He should be happy now, because it meant he wasn’t in pain and because it might help Suki realize they weren’t together. But… 

Well, he had gotten used to the feeling of Sokka’s slender fingers resting on top of the back of his hand. He had gotten used to the way Sokka occasionally spun Zuko’s ring around his finger idly, as if he didn’t even know he was doing it. He had gotten used to the way their fingers slotted together as if they were made for each other. 

And he was struck, suddenly, by just _how_ badly he wanted that to always be the case. Usually he could push down his feelings, knowing that it wasn’t realistic in any way whatsoever, but these past few hours had allowed him to live in a world where it was- where holding hands was something they did regularly because they were together- and now that the illusion had shattered he felt slightly empty.

Now wasn’t the time to think about it, though, and he forced a grin as he watched Sokka walk to the mirror. 

As he admired the art now adoring his body, his expression was one of unbridled joy. His happiness was rolling off him, making his already beautiful face alight with something pure and breathtaking, and Zuko’s heart ached with longing.

“What do you think?” Suki asked him.

He turned to her and Zuko could see now that there were tears brimming in his eyes. “It’s perfect, Suki, thank you. It’s… This one means a lot to me- it’s sort of a way to memorialize someone I lost a long time ago- and it’s everything I could have imagined.”

“I’m really, really glad to hear that, Sokka, and I’m grateful that I was able to do this for you,” she said genuinely, squeezing his arm briefly before she snapped back into business mode. “Now, this is a big piece, so you need to take care of it, okay?”

Zuko tuned them out slightly, Suki just walking Sokka through all the aftercare instructions he needed to follow as she bandaged his ribs, and before he knew it they were up at the front as Sokka paid.

“Thank you again, Suki, it’s amazing.” 

“Of course, Sokka,” she replied warmly. “It was great to meet you both, and I’m already looking forward to having you guys come back in September. Also, Zuko, you better help Sokka take care of that tattoo, okay?”

It took Zuko a second to realize she meant she was looking forward to them coming in _together_ , and then a second longer to realize what she meant by helping Sokka, but once he did he blushed as brightly as the red ink on his arm. “Oh. Right, yeah. I’m excited, too,” he stuttered out awkwardly, not missing the confused glance Sokka shot his way. “And uh, yeah. I’ll… Make sure he’s taking care of it.”

“Great,” she said with a wink. “I’ll see you around, then.”

Sokka sent her a wave, and they left the shop to begin the walk back to their apartment. It was late enough in the afternoon that the sun was beginning to set, bathing the sky vibrant shades of pink and orange, and Zuko busied himself with admiring it as he tried to come up with what to say to his best friend. 

He knew he had to say something, because he knew that if either of them ever went alone and saw Suki she’d ask how their boyfriend was, and that was decidedly not how he wanted Sokka to find out what she’d been thinking about them. Besides, if he didn’t he’d just keep thinking about how right it had felt to hold Sokka’s hand like that, and then he’d feel guilty about the whole situation. He’d feel as if he took advantage of him by letting her think they were together when Sokka didn’t realize what was going on and letting himself imagine a world where that was something they did.

No, better for him to bring it up so that they could laugh it off together, and then Sokka could move on while Zuko could go back to pining.

“So, uh Suki was kind of strange, didn’t you think so?” he ended up asking awkwardly, gaze fixed on the sidewalk.

“Was she? I thought she was awesome- she’s smart, she’s hot, she’s funny… I mean, I totally get why Ty Lee is so into her.”

He shrugged. “No, of course all of that’s true. I don’t know, I guess I just thought she said some weird things.”

“Hm. Well,” he hummed thoughtfully. “She may have said some weird things, but… She’s definitely talented.” He paused briefly, and then he asked softly, “Do you think she’d like it? My mom, I mean.”

Zuko’s heart clenched, and he ached to hold Sokka’s hand again, if only to let him know that he was there for him. “Of course she would, Sokka. She’d love it, and I’m sure she’d be honored that you wanted to remember her this way, with a design that was so special to her.”

He smiled softly, and knocked Zuko’s shoulder with his own. “Thanks. And thanks for coming with me and holding my hand and stuff, too. It helped a lot.”

“Yeah, no problem. Thank you for offering to come with me when I go to get mine, too.” He paused too, then said carefully, feeling bad about changing the subject away from Kya and back to what had happened in the shop, “You know you don’t have to, though, right? Just because I came with you, you aren’t obligated to repay me or whatever, and you definitely don’t have to hold my hand if you don’t want to.”

“Why wouldn’t I want to go with you or hold your hand?” Sokka asked, confused. “It wouldn’t be some sort of repayment or anything; I _want_ to be there for you. I always do.”

Zuko’s heart- his stubborn little pining heart- melted at the honest sincerity in his voice and at the thought that if it were anyone else but the two of them, that might be considered romantic. 

But it was just them, and that wasn’t how they were- it was just a kind extension of help from a friend, the same as his offered hand had been.

“I don’t know, it’s just… Well, it’s actually part of why I thought she was saying weird stuff, I guess. She… Suki thinks we’re dating.”

“Oh, that,” Sokka just laughed. “Yeah, I noticed she was thinking that, too.”

Zuko’s heart stopped at his words and he was surprised enough that he froze, right in the middle of the sidewalk, while Sokka kept on walking as if nothing was wrong. When he realized he wasn’t at his side anymore he turned around, brow wrinkled.

“Zuko? Are you okay?”

“You knew?” he asked numbly, head foggy and heart pounding. Sokka had known what Suki thought, and he hadn’t pulled away at all or made any move to correct her. 

Somehow, the realization made him feel more guilty than he already did.

“Well, yeah. It wasn’t exactly subtle, what she thought was going on.”

“But you- You didn’t say anything? I mean, you didn’t correct her or anything.”

Pink, surprisingly, blossomed across Sokka’s cheeks. “Well, no, I suppose I didn’t.”

“Why not? Sokka, she thinks we’re dating. She saw me holding your hand while wearing my ring and my bracelet. We were talking about our apartment and our cat and sharing a water bottle. You told her we’re close, and _she thinks we’re dating_ ,” he said pointedly, not understanding what Sokka had been thinking, or why he wouldn’t say anything, or why he didn’t seem to care about _any_ of that.

“Okay?” Sokka just stared at him expectantly, and Zuko didn’t quite know what to do.

“Doesn’t that bother you?” he asked finally, arms flopping uselessly against his side.

“What? No, it doesn’t. Why would I be bothered by that, Zuko?” 

He sounded a little offended, and Zuko knew immediately that he’d picked up on his unspoken fears. Suddenly, he found himself on the brink of tears. He wasn’t quite sure why, if it was frustration or embarrassment or sadness or just him being dramatic, but… there were definitely hot tears pricking in his eyes as he stared back at him.

“Because I’m… I don’t know! I’m gay, and you’re straight, and someone thought we were together!” He knew he wasn’t explaining himself clearly, but he himself didn’t really know what he was trying to say, and he was scared that if he continued talking he would accidentally confess his feelings to Sokka and ruin everything.

“Zuko, what? I’m not straight,” he responded in bewilderment. “I’m bi.”

The world crashed around Zuko, and the tears that had been building vanished as suddenly as they’d appeared in his surprise. “What?”

“I’m bi, Zuko. Bisexual. As in attracted to more than one gender. Including men. I am very much _not_ straight.”

“Oh,” he said smally. That certainly… Well, that certainly changed things a little bit then, didn’t it?

Sokka, in typical Sokka fashioned, chuckled lightly. Not mocking him- _never_ mocking him- but more fond and slightly embarrassed by the situation. “I thought you knew that.”

“No,” he said dumbly, still staring at him in mild disbelief. “No, I definitely did not know that.”

“...I’m sorry.”

“It’s- It’s fine, Sokka, that’s my fault for assuming.”

“Well, you know what they say. It makes an ass out of you and me, so… It’s just as much my fault for assuming you knew.”

He couldn’t help but laugh, though it was a little more hysterical than relieved. Because now his pining after Sokka would have an extra twinge of pain accompanying it, brought on by the knowledge that had he been anyone but his best friend, he might actually have a chance with him, and Suki _still thought they were dating._

His face must have fallen, because suddenly Sokka was just inches away, close enough that he could see the subtle freckles across his nose and cheekbones and the way concern was making those beautiful brown eyes of his dark as they searched his. “Zuko? Are you… Are you okay? I’m sorry that I didn’t tell you explicitly, I just thought it was kind of obvious-”

“No, it’s not about that Sokka. I’m sorry, it’s just… Suki still thinks we’re together,” he said helplessly, unable to think about anything else besides that fact. 

“Then when we go back in September we’ll tell her we aren’t,” he said, kind and soft and so unbearably gentle that it made him almost angry. “Why’s this such a big deal to you, Zuko? Talk to me.”

He sighed and looked away from his eyes, knowing that if he looked at them any longer than he’d cave and tell him everything. “I don’t know. You’re right though. We can just do that.”

He was silent for a long while, staring at Zuko while he did his best to look at anything other than him, until he broke it to ask, “Is it because it’s me? Do you not want her to think we’re together because it’s… Because you don’t want anyone to think it’s _me_ that you’re dating?”

His voice was sad enough that it made Zuko’s heart stop in his chest, suddenly not knowing what to do or how to answer or why Sokka sounded so hurt by the prospect, and he remained silent as he tried desperately to come up with something, _anything,_ to say _._

Except Sokka took his silence as a yes, and his eyes widened as he quickly stepped away from him, backtracking until he was several feet away.

“Oh. Okay, yeah, I get that. That’s okay, of course you wouldn’t want someone thinking we’re together when we’re very much not,” he laughed awkwardly, running a hand over the shaved hair on the back of his head. “That was such a stupid question, I totally get it. I mean, it’s fine with me because we’re such good friends, and the idea that we’re dating is uh… Well, you know, I wouldn’t actually be adverse to it, because I might be a little bit in love with you, but everyone has their own boundaries-”

He kept rambling, but it fell on deaf ears.

_I might be a little bit in love with you._

_I might be a little bit in love with you._

_I wouldn’t be adverse to it, because I might be a little bit in love with you._

“What?” he interrupted, cutting Sokka off abruptly. “What did you… You love me?”

Sokka blushed crimson, but he didn’t look away. Instead, he looked Zuko straight in the eyes, took a deep breath, and said, “Yeah, I do. I honestly didn’t mean to admit it right there, but now that’s out in the open… I really, really do. I have for a long time, actually, and I know that might be a little awkward considering we live together and all that, but… I love you, Zuko.”

All Zuko could do was stare at him, overcome by the happiness bursting out of his heart as he replayed his words in his head.

Sokka loved him. 

Sokka, who Zuko had been in love with for nearly two years at this point, loved him. 

Sokka, his roommate and his best friend and the person he trusted above all else, who he thought he’d never have a chance with in a million years, _loved him._

It was enough to make him giddy, though his face must not have shown it because Sokka asked anxiously, “Zuko? I know it’s a lot for me to spring on you right now, but… Please say something?”

 _I love you_ , he thought.

“You absolute idiot,” he said instead. 

Sokka’s brow furrowed, though there was a hint of amusement in the slight pull at the corners of his mouth. “Is that like… A good idiot? Bad idiot? I’m kinda confused here, buddy.”

“Don’t call me buddy after telling me you’re in love with me, that negates all of what you just said,” he teased, stepping closer to him. “But that’s… That’s a good idiot. It’s also not at all what I meant to say.”

He was smiling fully now, and stepped forward as well, so that they were once again just inches apart, their eyes searching each others’. “What were you going to say then?”

He glanced down briefly to grab Sokka’s hand and lace their fingers together, then looked back to him to say, “I was _going_ to say that when I realized Suki thought we were together, it felt like I was being tortured. Not because I didn’t want anyone to think that, but because of how badly I wanted it to be _real_ , because I love you.”

“Oh,” he breathed, a sappy smile on his face that Zuko knew he shared, especially when he squeezed his hand- lightly this time, though. _Affectionately_ , his brain supplied. “That’s… That’s good. So that’s why you were freaking out about her thinking we were together, then?”

He laughed slightly, though it was more of an embarrassed grimace. “Yeah. I spent all day thinking about how right it felt to be there holding your hand like that and wishing, more than anything, that we were together and that I could do that all the time. And then I felt bad for thinking those things, because I really did just offer it as a way to help you with the pain, but instead I was thinking about all of that. I felt like I was… I don’t know, taking advantage of the situation, I guess.”

“And you did help, really. It’s funny you say that, though, because I was thinking the same thing the entire time, and felt bad that I was so happy you were holding my hand when you meant nothing by it other than to be a good friend.”

He laughed, shaking his head slightly. “We are… Both idiots. We could have been doing this the whole time?”

“It seems so,” he responded fondly, looking at their clasped hands. “I guess we’ll just have to hold hands all the time now. To make up for lost time, of course.”

“Of course,” he teased, bringing his free hand up to Sokka’s chin so that he was looking at him once again. His heart thudding in his chest, he murmured, “I have another idea of how we can make up for that lost item, though.”

“What’s that?”

Zuko paused for a moment, just taking in the way his eyes glimmered with adoration, the way his freckles dotted his face like the stars in the night sky, and the way the setting sun was bathing him in a soft golden pink light. He shifted his hand so that he was cupping his cheek, his skin soft and warm under his palm, and when Sokka leaned into the touch he asked softly, “Kiss me?” 

His answering smile made Zuko’s gut swoop, especially when Sokka’s free hand landed on his waist, drawing him close enough that their chests were pressed together, warm and solid and comforting. He only had a second to appreciate it, though, before Sokka leaned forward to kiss him.

It was nothing special, really just a soft brush of their lips, but it still made him feel as though he was soaring, as though they were the only people on the planet, as though they weren’t still standing in the middle of the sidewalk where anyone could walk past and see them. 

It was nothing special, but it was everything he’d ever wanted and more than he ever could have imagined, and he was sure his heart was going to burst from the fierce happiness he felt.

They broke apart after a moment, but neither of them pulled away very far since Zuko moved his hand from his cheek to the back of Sokka’s head, pulling him forward so that they could press their foreheads together. He was unable to prevent a sappy smile from making its way onto his face when he noticed Sokka’s thumb rubbing soft circles into his waist, the same as he’d done to his hand in the tattoo shop- not that he wanted to.

“Hi,” Sokka whispered, eyes roaming his face.

“Hi,” he whispered back, voice breaking slightly from how much he was smiling. 

“How are you?” he asked, echoing all the times Zuko had asked him earlier judging by the twinkle in his eyes.

“I’m happy,” Zuko said, leaning forward to press their lips together again briefly, laughing when Sokka followed him as he pulled away. “I’m really, really happy. The only thing that could make me happier, I think, is getting to call the guy I’m in love with my boyfriend.”

“Hm,” Sokka hummed playfully. “A hard bargain, but if he’s sure it’ll make him happy… I would love nothing more than to have him call me his boyfriend.”

Zuko had to close his eyes for a moment when his heart clenched with happiness at his words, cheeks aching slightly from how hard he was smiling. “That’s good,” he said finally. “That’s really good.”

They stayed like that for a while longer, foreheads pressed together and eyes closed, until Sokka pulled away to brush a kiss to his forehead.

“Come on,” he said. “Let’s go home.”

Zuko nodded and they started walking, their clasped hands swaying between them.

╳

The Kyoshi Tattoo Parlor hadn’t changed the slightest since Sokka’s appointment, though a few more chairs had been filled, and Zuko found himself smiling cheesily when he and Sokka walked in, their hands clasped between them.

“What?” Sokka asked when he noticed, leaning into his side. “Why are you smiling like that?”

“I’m just thinking about the last time we were here.”

“Yeah? Anything specific?”

“Just how you threatened to kick our cat out because he steals your socks,” he teased, rolling his eyes- Sokka knew exactly what he was thinking about. 

“Hey, I stand by that. He’s a thief. Why doesn’t he get his own socks?”

“Because he’s a cat? He doesn’t have thumbs. Also… No use for socks other than to play with them.”

“His loss,” he shrugged, before pressing a kiss into Zuko’s hair that made fire-moths erupt in his stomach. He would have thought that the novelty of such an innocent thing would have faded after a few months, but it hadn’t- every time Sokka did something simple like that, whether it was a kiss to his forehead or a slight squeeze of his hand or a haphazard _love you_ called over his shoulder on his way out the door, he still felt like he was melting.

“Hey you two,” a familiar voice called out, and Zuko turned his head from Sokka to see Suki walking up to them with a knowing smile. “It’s good to see you again, Zuko, I’m excited to finally get started on this dragon. And... I assume Sokka’s staying with us?”

“Of course I am,” he said, squeezing Zuko’s hand.

Zuko looked over at him, standing at his side with a bright smile, and thought he wouldn’t mind if he always did. 

**Author's Note:**

> Also if you're interested, this is what I had in mind for [Sokka's wolf](https://images.app.goo.gl/3VtHnB9cjc1yak6T7), [Sokka's moon](https://images.app.goo.gl/mqc49dcUWF2ENZjR9) (but bigger), [Zuko's sleeve](https://www.bardadim.tattoo/tattoo-portfolio/), [Zuko's dragon](https://terracyte.tumblr.com/post/634546911572000768/local-firelord-gets-dragon-tatts-id-a-semi), and [Suki's sea serpent](https://terracyte.tumblr.com/post/640028352535838720/shes-busy-doing-actual-hot-girl-shit-id-a).
> 
> Thanks for reading! And if you enjoyed, please leave kudos/comments or check out my tumblr ([@zukosadragon-ace](https://zukosadragon-ace.tumblr.com/))! <3


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